


You're So Goddamn Frail

by copias_gloves



Series: Sathanas, We Are One [3]
Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Aftercare, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Bathing/Washing, Cuckolding, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gags, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Mindfuck, Minor Violence, Multi, Non-violent psychological horror, Oral Sex, Partial Mind Control, Rope Bondage, Spitroasting, cum sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-21 23:57:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17652161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/copias_gloves/pseuds/copias_gloves
Summary: [WARNING: This story deals with some very dark, psychological horror themes and might not be suitable for some readers.]Ember struggles with a lot of FEELINGS and chooses instead to channel that energy into anger at Cardinal Copia. But he doesn't fully realize what Copia is capable of.





	You're So Goddamn Frail

**Author's Note:**

> WHEW this took so long to write but I hope it's going to have been worth the wait. This is the final story in this series, however from here on out I'll be writing in essentially the same timeline/context whatever. Thanks for your patience! And big thanks to @dying_deist for beta-ing for me! 🖤🖤🖤
> 
> **Edit: I've updated all instances of "Dewdrop/Dew" to now be Ember, which I will be using to refer to our Era 4 lead guitar ghoul moving forward.

Finally, a rest day.

The entire clergy took rest days very seriously; it was a time to reflect, catch up on sleep, get some proper food, and take care of any other miscellaneous business that rituals normally prevented. For some ghouls it was a chance to spend time together, and for others it was a time of solitude.

Ember was alone. There was a small, quiet practice space he was fond of, separated from the main living quarters. It was poorly lit, but he preferred the dark anyway. Various instruments were scattered throughout the room, available for any of them to come jam or rehearse as needed. He sat there in the shadowy space, fiddling on the guitar, his fingers flying over the fretboard in complicated patterns in time with furious strumming, whatever it took to occupy his mind for as long as his hands would allow. When he was playing, his thoughts faded away, granting him some semblance of peace, at least for a little while. He had the amp turned up loud, drowning out any background distractions, mental and otherwise.

But he could only play like that for so long before his hand began to cramp. It frustrated him, and he tried to push through it but soon he was messing up the finger placements. He grit his teeth and purposely flubbed everything in a twangy cluster of dissonant notes before resting the guitar across his lap. He leaned back to stare at the ceiling as all his thoughts came rushing back in a horrible flood of uncertainty.

He hadn't heard from Aether about how his talk with Copia went. And that worried him beyond reason. There were only so many scenarios that could have played out, and he didn't think he'd like any of them. He hadn't slept much the night before, so his exhaustion combined with his anxiety almost made him feel sick.

From across the room, the door creaked open. Ember lolled his head to the side to see who it was: Mountain was leaning into the room, still partially behind the door. The drummer gave a friendly little wave.

"Hey, you doing okay?" Mountain's tone was concerned but not pushy.

"Eh...not really, if I'm honest," Ember admitted.

"You want some company?"

Ember gave him a noncommittal shrug.

Mountain crossed the room and sat in the chair beside him. Ember set the guitar to the side, then leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, head hanging limply.

"For what it's worth, your playing sounded awesome. Well, until that last part anyway," Mountain commented.

Ember chuckled. "Thanks, I guess."

Silence settled between them for a moment, but it wasn't necessarily uncomfortable. Despite the fact that they weren't particularly close, Ember thought it was still nice to feel like someone cared, at least enough to check in on him.

"Whatever's bothering you, I hope it passes quickly. And if you need to talk or vent, just let me know. I'm a good listener." Mountain rested a comforting, warm hand on his back. Ember felt a bit of tension unravel at even such a slight touch.

"I appreciate that," the guitarist said, turning to look at the ghoul beside him. "But I'm not really... ready to talk about it. I've got a lot of shit going on up here," he explained, gesturing with skinny fingers pointing at his temple.

Mountain nodded in understanding. "Gotcha. I'll let you be then." He patted Ember's back and stood up again. "My offer still stands, no matter what time. I'll be around."

The drummer ghoul left the room with a quiet _click_ as the door shut. Ember sighed heavily, and held his head in his hands. If only he could turn his brain off. A looming cloud of impending doom hung over him; he was certain his worst fears were coming true and there was nothing he could do to stop them. His body quaked suddenly with the oppressive energy of it all.

 _I can't do this here_ , he reprimanded himself, then got up and walked out before anyone else could pop in and see him in such a state.

Ember tried to sleep his troubles away but ended up lying in his bed for several hours, terribly awake, his thoughts a swirling miasma of every possible bad outcome from the darkest corners of his imagination. He stared at the ceiling, motionless aside from the slight rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, wishing he could just dissolve into nothingness. It was then that he envied sociopaths; _it'd be so much easier to never feel anything_ , he thought bitterly.

His door swung open, and in walked Aether. They were well past the point of needing to knock before entering each other's rooms, so it was hardly uncommon for Aether to barge in unannounced. He was a bundle of energy, a big dopey grin on his face until he laid eyes on Ember.

"Ember you'll never guess—hey, are you alright?" Aether said, changing gears immediately.

Ember took a deep breath and sat up, putting on his usual aloof smirk. "Peachy. What won't I guess?" Externally, he was cool as a cucumber. Internally, he was petrified of what his fellow ghoul was about to tell him.

The rhythm guitarist narrowed his eyes at him, suspicious of his sudden shift in mood no doubt. Ember must have been convincing enough though, because he carried on with his original vigor, the dopey smile returning to his face as he said, "So I spoke with Copia last night..."

"...And?" Ember took the bait reluctantly. He tilted his head as though to appear genuinely curious, but really he was bracing for impact.

"Well, he did agree that he should have been more more careful about _where_ he hit you. But then he mentioned something rather interesting..." Aether seemed to be enjoying his constructed suspense.

Meanwhile, the skinny guitarist was covertly digging his fingernails into his palms, positively filled with dread. "Oh did he? And what was that?" It took all his energy to not cringe in preparation to hear Aether's next words.

"He said... that _you_ said... that _I_ would be _jealous_ that you and he had... well, you know."

 _Fucking Copia_ , Ember silently cursed. He knew he should have kept that to himself. He frowned dismissively, as if he couldn't care less. "So what if I did? Are you jealous?"

"Not anymore," Aether replied, his grin widening further.

That could only mean one thing. Ember felt like his heart leapt off a cliff and was plummeting straight into the depths of Hell. Unable to maintain his composure any longer, he abruptly got up off the bed and walked across the room with no particular end goal other than to face away from Aether. He crossed his arms and stared out the window.

"Ember? I thought you'd be happy to hear you were right... What's the matter?"

Ember heard footsteps approaching him. Involuntarily, he hunched his shoulders, wishing once more that he could just disappear. _This is all my fucking fault, I did this. I'm a fucking idiot, why did I ever think_—a warm hand on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts and Ember tore himself away from it.

"Fuck off," Ember snapped, sounding meaner than he wanted to but unable to help it.

"Whoa, what the hell, Ember? Why are you so upset?" Aether really didn't get it.

"Because I don't want to hear about it, now leave me the fuck alone."

There was a long pause. Ember was clutching his own arms so tightly he was sure there would be bruises later. He shut his eyes tight.

In a quiet voice, Aether asked, "Do you have feelings for Copia then?"

Any other time, Ember would have laughed at that. But instead, he buried his face in his hands.

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea, honestly. He made it sound like there wasn't anything serious between you two..."

"That's not—fuck, just get out of here. Go away," Ember demanded, but his voice started to break.

"Then what is it, Ember? You know you can tell me anything."

 _It wasn't supposed to be like this_... Ember choked back a sob. All his emotions came flooding up all at once, and he couldn't fight them any longer. Tears welled over as he slowly crumpled to the floor, devastated. His shoulders shook as he cried into his hands, hating the sound of his own voice as he gasped and whimpered. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried, let alone this intensely.

Aether sat on the floor beside him and Ember felt a warm, strong arm wrap around his back. It only made things worse; the skinny guitarist let out a wail and doubled over toward the floor.

"Oh, Ember... how can I help? Please, tell me what's going on," the bigger ghoul said quietly.

It took some time before Ember could even try to speak. Still covering his face with his hands, his breath coming in fitful bursts, he finally was able to form words. "I wanted you to be jealous of _Copia_ , Aeth."

"Oh... _Ohhhhh_ ," the other ghoul responded, finally understanding.

Ember inhaled deeply and wiped the tears off his face with his shirtsleeve. He wasn't sure he was ready to face Aether's reaction, but he was going to anyway. He sat up, Aether's warm arm still around his back, and turned to look into those kind, brown eyes.

He looked a little shell-shocked. It really shouldn't have been such a big surprise; they were so close after all, possibly the closest of any pair of ghouls aside from Cirrus and Cumulus, who were practically attached at the hip. But here Aether was, looking back at him with an irritatingly stunned expression. Ember scowled at him. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, not really, actually. Only... shit, Ember, I don't know what to say." With his free hand, Aether rubbed the back of his neck in thought.

Ember's heart began to pound. He clenched his jaw, waiting.

After a few agonizingly quiet moments, Aether spoke up again. "Look. I really care about you. And when I saw your face all messed up, it broke my heart to think about anyone hurting you, no matter what the context was. But if that's what you're into, then I'm not sure I can fulfill your needs..."

The already pained expression on Ember's face darkened. But he wasn't willing to give up just yet. "I know that my 'needs' might seem extreme to you. I would never ask you to do anything you're not comfortable with. And you not wanting to _actually_ hurt me is a quality I need in a partner. It means I could trust you to never take things too far. Sometimes I forget my own limits... and being with you would mean I'd be safe no matter what." He had to look away. Even though he knew it wasn't correct, he couldn't help feeling that vulnerability was something detestable; his normally confident nature railed against this display of what he considered weakness. Without turning back to Aether, Ember continued, "I shouldn't have tried to make you jealous... It was a spur of the moment thing and, well, now you understand how convincing Copia can be. I wish all of this happened differently. Very differently. I'm not... I'm not good at things like this."

The arm around his back pulled him in close, and Ember's face rested against Aether's chest while the bigger ghoul's other arm wrapped around him too. They'd hugged plenty of times before, but this was different; this was so meaningful and intimate, it nearly brought Ember to tears again but he shut his eyes tight and savored the feeling of comfort that he felt in Aether's embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Ember," Aether spoke up finally, pulling away slightly.

Ember froze.

"This is a really difficult situation... I appreciate you being so open and honest with me, and while I acknowledge the points you made, I just... I don't see us being compatible romantically. I think our bond is stronger as friends, and I would hate to risk that." Although his delivery was gentle, every word from Aether's mouth pierced Ember's heart like a nail gun. He stared blankly at the black fabric of Aether's shirt, immobile. "I hope you understand, I know that isn't what you wanted to hear..."

 _No it fucking isn't_... Ember clenched his jaw and quickly dislodged himself from Aether's arms. The other ghoul didn't contest as he stood up and paced back and forth. Yet another worst case scenario was unfolding before him, and in his current state, he could either slip further into despair or get really fucking angry. He chose the latter.

"Ember, please don't be upset," Aether pleaded quietly, still on the floor.

"Fuck that," Ember spat. He stomped toward the door and flung it open.

"Wait, where are you going?"

Ember grumbled, "Don't worry about it," and left the room without looking back.

As Ember stormed through the hallway, it took all of his self control to not punch a hole through the wall or one of the many stained glass windows. His pace was so aggressively focused on moving forward that, as he rounded a corner, he slammed into Cumulus unexpectedly and knocked her right over. She landed hard on the unforgiving floor and let out a little yelp of pain. He barely stopped to check that she was okay when he noticed Aether trailing behind him further down the hallway. _No time for this_. He continued on his path, picking up speed. After he was nearly at the opposite end of the hallway, he heard Cumulus stop Aether.

"Leave him be, I wouldn't bother him when he's like this," she warned the other guitarist.

"But it's my fault..." Aether replied solemnly.

"All the more reason to give him some space."

 _It's not your fault, Aether. It's mine, all of this is my own fucking fault..._ Ember shook his head fiercely, refusing to sink back into that headspace. He wasn't ready to accept the blame. He'd pin it all on Copia instead, consequences be damned. He turned the next corner and carried on. He didn't stop again until he was at the cardinal's door, which he pounded his fist against without hesitation.

"Open up, you stupid rat fuck!" Ember shouted. He tried the doorknob, but it only rattled in his hand, locked. He pounded on the door some more.

He kept banging his fist against the door over and over until finally it opened, and the instant he saw Copia, Ember lunged at him. But rather than slamming into him like he expected, the cardinal used the ghoul's momentum against him to hurl Ember past and send him stumbling into the room. As Ember regained his balance, Copia shut the door swiftly. Ember rushed him again, but Copia easily blocked his attack and then, in one fluid motion, dealt a powerful uppercut straight into the ghoul's gut.

Completely winded, Ember groaned and collapsed to the floor with that desperate, suffocating feeling of his lungs ceasing to function.

"Now, what's all this about?" Copia asked, looming over him. "Have you come back for round two? It's been a stressful day, so I'm more than willing to treat you like a punching bag, if that's what you're after."

The ghoul couldn't respond, or even breathe. He clutched his stomach and pressed his forehead to the floor, waiting for some relief. It was agony, like his lungs were frozen in time while the rest of his body panicked and tried to carry on without oxygen. Eventually, his breath slowly returned to him, albeit in stuttering, shaky gasps. He glared up at the cardinal. "This is about... you stealing... Aether away from me," he managed to wheeze out.

The cardinal's eyebrows raised. "Stealing Aether? How so? And since when did you own him?"

"I don't own him," Ember hissed. He was still struggling to breathe properly, so his words came out in short phrases, "But I had... more of a chance... with him... before you had to go and... fuck everything up... Now he thinks... we're incompatible..."

"It was _your_ initial tickle attack that started all of this, if you recall," Copia argued.

The ghoul growled and made moves to get back on his feet but Copia's shoe pushed him back to the floor and pinned him there.

"Stay right where you are." The cardinal's voice was icy, but his mood quickly shifted to a more familiar, suggestive tone. "How about all three of us work this out together, hm? It could even be a little bit fun..."

The thought was certainly tempting, but Ember wasn't convinced. And now, lying on his back, he was finally able to breathe and speak normally again. "There's no way Aether would be up for it. He can't bear to even see me bruised up, let alone stand by and watch me get hurt."

"Then we need to get creative." Copia lifted his foot off the ghoul and crouched down beside him. "Have you ever tried... emotional violence? Psychological damage? I bet I could still get you off..."

A flush of heat spread across Ember's face and all through his abdomen, which still stung from the unanticipated sucker punch. Degradation was fine by him, and paired naturally with the physical pain he craved, but he was pretty sure it'd take more than a few mean words to make him cum. "I'd like to see you try. But Aether probably won't let that happen either."

"Don't you worry about Aether, I'll be sure to keep him occupied."

The cardinal rose. Ember watched from the floor as Copia crossed the room to the writing desk, grabbed the chair there and turned it around, away from the desk and facing the rest of the room. Copia gestured toward the chair with a flourish of his gloved hand.

"Sit, imp." He commanded.

The skinny ghoul got up and did as he was told, settling onto the simple but comfortable leather cushion and resting his arms on the smooth wooden frame. Copia stood over him; his presence commanded all of Ember's attention.

"You're pathetic, you know that, little imp?" The cardinal said, in such a matter-of-fact tone that Ember almost forgot it was part of the game. "Physical pain is easy. It comes cheap." Copia gave him a little slap on the cheek, nothing too serious, but just enough to send a little rush of exhilaration through Ember. The ghoul pressed his lips together, trying to suppress his reaction. "See? Just a little bit and you're already getting excited. What a simple imp you are."

Ember's eyes flickered to the metal grucifix on the back of the cardinal's leather gloves. He remembered how badly he had wanted Copia to have been wearing those gloves when he'd been backhanded last time... He squirmed a little in the seat, but tried to play it off like he was only adjusting. However, it seemed that not even the slightest movement went unnoticed; Copia looked at the metal sigil himself and flexed his gloved fingers.

"You want me to hit you with this, don't you?" The cardinal asked.

Responding would have been pointless. They both knew the answer.

Delicately, Copia grazed Ember's still-bruised cheek with the backs of his fingers, the metal grucifix so close Ember could have licked it. The ghoul exhaled through his nostrils.

"So easy..." Copia scoffed. "Now, setting yourself up for failure was not so easy, was it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You knew all along that it couldn't work between you and Aether, didn't you? But you pursued him anyway, waiting for the day when he'd eventually reject you. You even fueled the fire, letting your lust for blood impair your judgement. You told yourself you'd 'make him jealous', but you ended up just forcing his hand. You showed him your worst self and then served me up on a platter. You knew he'd choose me over you. You wanted all of this. Your desire for pain runs that deep, doesn't it?"

As the cardinal spoke, Ember wanted to protest, but the more he went on, the more it started to make sense. Maybe he _had_ sabotaged himself. He stared forward, at nothing in particular, as Copia's words sunk in.

"And now what? You thought coming to fight me would solve something? You're a fool. If you beat me up, you'd only prove yourself more of a monster in his eyes. And if I beat you up, well, further proof that you need something he can't give you. Why _did_ you come here, hm? Answer me, imp."

"I—I don't know..." Ember lied.

"Yes you do. Say it."

The ghoul took a deep breath. "When Aether told me... how he felt, it was either sit there and keep crying about it or come here and pick a fight. I'd rather fight."

"You _cried_?" Copia's eyes widened and he seemed to hold back a laugh.

That feeling of weakness crept up on Ember again. He hadn't meant to admit that he had cried to _anyone_ , let alone to the cardinal. He avoided looking at Copia, and refused to answer.

Copia gave an exasperated sigh. "You're so goddamn frail..."

Ember winced and shut his eyes tight with a grimace. _No, not here, not in front of him..._ His whole torso shuddered, and he began to feel a tightness in his throat.

"Such a pitiful imp. Go ahead and cry. You can't fight it, you're too weak."

 _No, don't—_ Ember tried to stop himself but something came over him; an unseen force clenched his heart and suddenly he was _weeping_. The tears poured down his face and he hated the pathetic whimpers that escaped his mouth as his whole body shook in anguish. Ember could feel the cardinal's gaze, watching him, judging him, and the shame only intensified his crying. He started to bring his hands up but Copia grabbed his wrists, preventing him from covering his face.

"You can't hide from me, imp. I've seen you now. The _real_ you. This feeble, soft, little failure. No wonder you had to learn to turn pain into gratification."

That statement struck something deep inside Ember and sent him falling over the precipice into true despair; it was all too true. And it was too much to bear. He broke down. "Enough... please, stop..." he begged between sobs. He tried to pull his wrists out of Copia's grasp but the cardinal's gloved hands held tight.

"You've had enough already?" Copia's tone was merciless.

Ember turned his head away from the cardinal. How had Copia cut to the core of all his insecurities so quickly? Was he so obvious? Or was Copia just that perceptive? It was almost as if he could read the ghoul's thoughts, digging into the darkest corners of his mind and bringing it all into the open, eviscerating him and leaving him to the vultures. Ember was trembling, overwhelmed, and fearful of what Copia might do next.

Abruptly, the cardinal let go of Ember's wrists. Copia tsked, sounding disappointed as he said, "So be it. Let's get on with it, then. Take off your clothes."

It took a moment to compose himself as Ember wiped his tear-stained face and tried to regulate his breathing, then finally he gathered enough courage to look up at Copia, who was standing there expectantly with arms crossed, waiting for the ghoul to follow orders.

"Well? Go on, strip. Hurry up."

Too emotionally weary to even playfully protest, Ember started to undress. He kept an eye on the cardinal, who seemed satisfied to see him obey so meekly, and turned away to busy himself with something else. Ember deliberately took more time than he needed to undo the buttons of his shirt so he could see what the cardinal was up to.

There was a large, baroque bench at the foot of Copia's bed, which the cardinal then revealed to be of some kind of storage. Ember watched as the cardinal took a knee and rummaged through its contents.

"Don't get distracted, imp. You better be naked by the time I come back," Copia warned him without looking up from the inside of the storage bench.

Ember picked up the pace, his shirt now removed and cast aside. This was probably a tactic on Copia's part to try and embarrass the ghoul more, but Ember was actually quite comfortable being naked. He'd perform naked on stage if he could. The only complaint he had was that the room felt drafty somehow, despite there being no open windows or fans running. So as he removed the last of his clothes, a tiny shiver shot through him. Was he cold or was he nervous? He couldn't be sure. Maybe both.

The lid of the bench thumped shut and Copia unhurriedly walked back to where Ember sat naked in the chair, eyes rimmed red from crying. The ghoul's eyes wandered to the cardinal's hands and he took a deep breath as he realized what had been retrieved.

"For my next trick..." Copia joked as he brandished the long nylon rope between his gloved hands. "This time _you'll_ be the one who's restrained."

The cardinal circled the chair, letting the rope dangle and slither across Ember's bare shoulders and arms. It sent another shiver through him. What was it about Copia that made him so...submissive? Normally, Ember was a more dominant partner, even if he did enjoy changing things up now and then. But with the cardinal, he felt so passive, so ready to yield to whatever was asked of him. It didn't make any sense. He could only sit and watch as the ropes were fastened around each ankle, both wrists, and across his torso and elbows, thoroughly pinning him in place but not painfully so.

"How's that? Can you free yourself?" Copia checked. He looked the ghoul over to admire his handiwork.

No amount of wriggling or straining was enough to free Ember from his bondage, as he displayed for his captor. He was properly restrained.

"Okie dokie. Are you cold? Should I warm you up?" Copia sounded like his usual self then, eager to please and attentive. Ember nodded a little, not yet trusting himself to speak.

Almost immediately, Copia was in the ghoul's lap, the arms of the chair just wide enough to accomodate the cardinal's thighs on either side of Ember's narrow hips. Gloved hands skimmed up his chest, making sure to catch on his nipple rings on their way to his neck, eliciting a tiny gasp from the ghoul. Then one leather-clad thumb was pulling gently on his lower lip, opening his mouth and testing the scab that had formed there.

"Healing quickly, it seems," Copia commented, before bringing his face in close. "Too bad, no blood for you today." Ember closed his eyes, remembering the warm gush of blood when the cardinal had split his lip... but his imagination was quickly overpowered by the actual physical sensation of Copia kissing him deeply, greedily sucking on Ember's tongue.

When Copia broke away, he resumed running his hands over the ghoul's body. The soft leather of the cardinal's gloves combined with his already delicate caresses made Ember shiver again; goosebumps rose across his flesh and Copia took notice.

"Hmm, I think you need something more...direct," Copia mused.

The cardinal slid off his lap, settling onto the floor before him, and pushed Ember's knees apart. The ghoul gulped as those gloved hands slid up his thighs, Copia's eyes hypnotically gazing up at him with heavy eyelids. As the soft leather of one hand closed around his stiffening dick, Ember bit into his scarred bottom lip, and the cardinal stroked him until he was fully hard. Then Copia took Ember's cock and swept the tip along his outstretched tongue in slow, teasing movements, sending waves of heat rushing through the ghoul's body. Ember wanted to nudge his hips forward, to get deeper into Copia's mouth, but he knew it would be no use; the cardinal's other hand was holding his hip in place, the supple leather warm against his skin. Copia's lips wrapped around the tip, slurping noisily, intentionally, making Ember writhe and tug ineffectively at the ropes.

Copia pulled back to say, "Ready? _Tell me when you're close_." The cardinal gave him a meaningful look and once again wrapped his mouth around his cock.

"Oh fuck..." Ember cursed, realizing that was the same line he'd given Copia before. He tugged on his restraints again, knowing he couldn't escape but his body wanted to try nonetheless. And then Copia was throating him, head bobbing between his legs and wasting no time taking him as deep as he could, and his pace was already so fast that Ember was breathing heavily in mere moments. Now the urge to buck his hips was even stronger, but the cardinal's hands prevented any such maneuver.

 _Fuckfuckfuck_...Ember couldn't believe he was already getting close. Normally his stamina was pretty impressive; what the fuck was happening to him today? He was letting out little gasps and quiet moans, as Copia seemed to know exactly how fast to go and how much tongue pressure to apply, and the heat of lust was coiling in his abdomen, ready to explode. _What if I just stay quiet, and I don't tell him?_ He considered, but one of Copia's fingers slithered up his torso to tug on a nipple ring and the resulting lightning bolt of pleasure that shot through him to his groin made Ember lose his cool entirely. He threw his head back and moaned loudly, his hands gripping the chair and his thighs tensing up. All hopes of hiding how close he was were immediately abandoned.

Copia brusquely stopped, and pulled away. He wiped his mouth and chuckled as Ember writhed in the chair in frustration, his cock dripping precum onto the leather cushion.

"Oh, come on! Copia, please, it's not fair..." Ember mewled.

Copia laughed some more. "Well yeah, that's kind of the point. Remember that time you did that to me?"

Ember squirmed as much as his restraints allowed, the sudden lack of stimulation infuriating him. "Don't be petty, just... fuck, please don't stop now..." He hated how whiny he sounded but couldn't help it, he needed release so _badly_.

The cardinal approached the chair and patted his cheek in a patronizing way. "I think it's time we phone a friend. But first..." He fished for something in his jacket pocket, then pulled out some red handkerchiefs. "Open up," he instructed, opening his own mouth wide in demonstration.

Ember leaned back and away from the cardinal's incoming hand. "Wait, wait! Before you do that..." The ghoul paused, grunting in frustration as his erection throbbed. "How will I let you know if I'm not okay? I want some kind of safe word or signal." He wasn't always good about protecting himself in these kinds of scenarios, but that was one rule he _always_ made sure to keep.

"I'll know." Copia responded mystifyingly.

"What? What do you mean you—"

As Ember tried to speak, the cardinal quickly grabbed his chin with one hand as the other hand balled up and stuffed a handkerchief inside his mouth, pushing it in just far enough to not choke him outright. Then before the ghoul could even consider biting Copia's fingers in response, the next handkerchief was added, this one rolled lengthwise and fixed between his teeth, then pulled tight and tied behind his head. Ember wanted to thrash his head around, to fight back in any way he could, but instead he found himself frozen in fear. Once the gag was secured, Copia slowly backed up and observed him.

Ember stared back, wide-eyed, his breath coming in short, quick bursts through his nose. His heart was pounding in his chest. He was _afraid_.

Seeing his fear, Copia gently rested his hands on Ember's shoulders. The ghoul couldn't help but flinch. "Relax, imp. I'll release you if it becomes too much for you." Somehow, despite his better judgement and the terror he felt, he believed the cardinal. He took a deep breath in through his nostrils, and as he exhaled, he felt the slightest bit of tension dissipate.

Then Copia leaned in, lips close enough to brush against Ember's ear, and whispered, "And if you're a good little imp, then I promise to reward you." As the cardinal's tongue ran along his earlobe, Ember trembled, and his keen was muffled by the gag. His still-hard cock twitched, and the hope of eventual satisfaction sent a jolt of arousal through him once more.

Copia took a step back. "Now take a minute to compose yourself while I make that call. Don't want to spook Aether away, do we?"

Detesting his own subservience, Ember shook his head. He didn't want to scare Aether away... he had to get himself under control so the other ghoul wouldn't be worried about him when he showed up. He took some more deep breaths as the cardinal walked over to the side table near the door to pick up a literal phone, one of those ancient rotary-style ones. _I thought that was just decorative...Where did he even get that thing?_ Ember wondered absently. The rotary dial was loud and obnoxious as Copia entered the number one digit at a time, the mechanism whirring loudly between each one as it reset.

"Yes, hello, this is the cardinal calling... I'm very well, thank you for asking. And yourself?... Oh wonderful, I'm so glad to hear you got that sorted out... Good, good."

Ember snorted and rolled his eyes. Classic Copia. Either he couldn't help being overly cordial or he was doing this on purpose, buying Ember time to calm down a bit. Or maybe it was meant to irritate him. The ghoul's understanding of the cardinal's motives or intentions was quickly deteriorating as more time passed.

Copia was still fucking talking. "You don't say... Oh I can't believe that, it's too incredible, you must be pulling my leg... But I bet you'd like to pull something else, wouldn't you, darling?... Heh heh heh... Well, actually, I was calling to ask, do you happen to know where our rhythm guitar ghoul might be?... Oh you do? Would you be a dear and ask him to come see me as soon as he can? It's a rather urgent matter, regarding band, uh, synergy, and I've been positively _chained_ to my desk..." After that comment, the cardinal turned to raise his eyebrows at Ember, then continued, "Yes, I'm so busy, I haven't had a moment to spare... Thank you so much, I truly appreciate it... Will do. May black light guide you... Mmhmm, okay, bye-bye."

There was a loud _click_ as Copia returned the phone to its cradle. He turned back to Ember and raised his arms wide. "And now we wait for our guest to arrive! How are we feeling? Horny? Yep, I see that's still going on. Emotionally battered? Yes? Have I given your heart a good _beating_?" He emphasized the last word with a pump of his fist.

"Nnhnn," Ember hummed through his gag and nodded emphatically with wide eyes to assure him that yes, very much yes, his heart was fucking thrashed.

Copia smiled proudly. "Good. Brace yourself, imp. The worst is yet to come." He said it with an eerie enthusiasm that left Ember feeling unsettled. "You sit tight, I'm going to get a little more comfortable while we wait for Aether to show up." Copia wandered off into a large walk-in closet on the opposite side of the room, out of sight.

 _What have I gotten myself into..._ Ember hung his head in thought. The nylon rope, although not scratchy necessarily, was starting to irritate his skin, the edges around his restraints turning red from his floundering movements before. He couldn't even bounce his leg really, as he was wont to do when he had too much nervous energy. Instead he settled for drumming his fingers against the wooden frame of the chair, and wiggling his toes a bit. Anything to make himself feel less trapped.

He wasn't sure he was mentally prepared to see Aether yet... and what exactly was Copia planning? Would he turn Aether against him? Would he somehow convince Aether to join in ridiculing him?

A sudden thought struck him, and his whole body stiffened. _No, that can't be the plan... Copia wouldn't... would he?_

As if the ghoul's thoughts had summoned him, Copia re-entered the room wearing a black silk pajama set with red pinstripes and a silver and red grucifix embroidered on the breast pocket. _Just how much of the clergy's funds does Copia spend on his fucking outfits?_ Ember wondered idly, but now was not the time to think about such things. He watched the cardinal carefully, trying to discern anything about what he had planned. Copia sat down casually on the edge of his bed with his legs crossed and an amused smile on his lips.

"Have you figured it out yet?" Copia asked, bouncing his foot.

Ember tilted his head to indicate that he wasn't sure.

The cardinal's tone was condescending as he said, "I see. Do you need me to spell it out for you?"

Insulting Ember's intelligence was always a sure way to earn a fierce glare from the skinny ghoul.

"Oh, don't get upset. I'm just surprised you haven't pieced it together yet, that's all. Normally you're pretty clever, but maybe your emotions are getting the better of you." Copia got up and crossed the small space to plant one knee on the chair between Ember's legs and leaned over him imposingly, gripping his upper arms and whispering in his ear, "I'm gonna fuck Aether in front of you... and you're gonna have to sit here and keep quiet or I'll send you back to Hell so fast your horns will fall off."

 _Oh, Satan, please no... anything but this..._ Tears rolled down Ember's cheeks as the cardinal's words sunk in. Copia obscenely licked the tears away, running his tongue up one side of the ghoul's face and then grabbing him by the chin to repeat the same on the other side.

"Quit crying," the cardinal ordered. "I won't have you upsetting Aether. Just try to enjoy it. Do what you always do and turn your pain into pleasure..." Copia's mouth locked onto his collarbone and sucked hard as one hand slid down to stroke his cock. A muffled groan full of both anguish and desire issued from the ghoul. His insides felt like a roaring inferno; anger, defeat, and lust all battling for dominance and roiling in his guts, coursing through his veins as his heart pounded.

There was a soft knocking at the door.

The cardinal retreated, leaving Ember breathing heavily through his nose and clenching his teeth down on the gag.

When Copia opened the door, there were a few seconds of panic as Ember tried in vain once more to yank himself out of the ropes, but Copia shot him a quick look that paralyzed him; he swore the cardinal's white eye flashed with an evil shimmer, a silent warning. _What the FUCK? Did that just happen? Am I losing my fucking mind?_ Ember's brain felt like it was going to short circuit.

"So glad you could come by, Aether. Please, come in," the cardinal welcomed the other ghoul.

It was like everything was happening in slow motion and too quickly at the same time. Aether stepped inside, and as his eyes swept the room and caught sight of Ember in the chair, the skinny ghoul felt faint. Ember avoided his gaze.

"Ember? What the—" Aether started toward him, but Copia gently took hold of the big ghoul's arm.

"Don't be alarmed, he's perfectly fine and in no pain. We've been discussing the events of the past couple nights... and we sorted out the best way to deal with this whole... 'situation.' Isn't that right?" Copia gave Ember another hard look.

Not wanting to incur any of the cardinal's promised wrath, the skinny ghoul nodded to confirm.

"See? Nothing to worry about," the cardinal soothed. His hand shifted from holding Aether back to affectionately caressing the big ghoul's bicep. Aether's worried eyebrows smoothed out at his touch, and looked away from Ember finally to turn toward the cardinal.

"I don't know about this, Copia..." Aether murmured, still uncertain.

"I know, it's unfamiliar territory, eh? But isn't that also _exciting_?" The cardinal's other hand rested in the center of Aether's muscled chest. As Aether looked down at the shorter man, and as the cardinal smiled up at him, the attraction between them was so apparent, the sight of it made Ember's heart ache with jealousy. "When I knew you were watching us backstage, it gave me such a thrrrill," Copia said, rolling his "r" emphatically, "I think you might like it too, if you give it a try. What do you say?"

Aether bit his lip in thought as the cardinal's fingers worked in small circles on his chest. Only a little bit ago, Ember had been pressing his face to that same spot... Copia seemed to be hypnotizing the bigger ghoul; the cardinal's half-lidded eyes didn't blink, and his finger movements were so calculated, almost like he was tracing runes into the ghoul's chest. Aether's posture softened, and his mouth hung open slightly as he stared back, unable to look away from the cardinal's enchanting gaze.

"Okay, I'll try," Aether whispered, then he leaned in and pressed his lips against the cardinal's. Their kiss was so... romantic. Ember clamped his teeth down on the gag to stop himself from whining as another pang of envy struck him. Their kiss deepened, and watching it felt like a knife in his heart was being twisted; he would have preferred an actual knife in his heart then, anything but seeing the ghoul he loved in the arms of another.

 _Turn your pain into pleasure_ , he remembered Copia's words. That was easier said than done, at least in response to emotional pain. The cardinal had been right: physical pain was easy. The rush of endorphins and flow of blood to a wound translated effortlessly into ecstasy for him. How could he turn heartbreak into something enjoyable? Whatever the answer was, he had to find it quickly; he watched Copia's hand slide down Aether's stomach to grope the ghoul through his pants and heard a subtle moan escape in response. The cardinal wasn't going to waste any time, it seemed. Ember could see those silk pajama pants were already tenting with excitement.

Before Ember even had time to process it, Copia had pushed Aether back onto the bed and was grinding on top of him with a slow, sensual rhythm. Every so often the cardinal would sneak a glance over at his captive in the chair, no doubt to make sure he was still watching them. As if Ember could look away at this point... He gripped the chair arms until his knuckles turned white, trying to stop himself from squirming as his abandoned erection throbbed against his abdomen. Watching Copia do all the things he wanted to do to Aether was already agony, and they had barely begun. Ember wanted to be the one to push Aether down and grind against him, to make Aether sigh, to undo Aether's pants so slowly that he lifted his hips impatiently, to be the one Aether's eyes were fixed on at with such obvious desire...

When Copia at last pulled out Aether's cock, Ember's lust escalated tenfold, scorching through him like an insatiable wildfire. He'd seen Aether naked before, in the dressing room or on the tour bus when they all couldn't wait to get out of their sweaty ritual outfits, but he'd never seen the rhythm guitar ghoul at full mast and ready for the taking. As he watched Copia worship Aether's cock with hands and mouth, Ember tongued his gag and imagined he was the one sucking the big ghoul off instead, forcing himself to enjoy the scene vicariously. _That's it, that's the only way I'll get through this_ , Ember realized suddenly, as the torment he'd been feeling shifted into some strange and unexpected satisfaction. In his mind, it was Ember's tongue that was making Aether shudder and moan, Ember's hair that the ghoul twined his fingers into, Ember's mouth that Aether was fucking with reflexive but careful thrusts. Copia struggled for a moment, gagging after one particularly deep thrust, and Ember snorted; even with a big cock like Aether's, Ember would have no trouble, and he felt a surge of pride at his lack of gag reflex—until Copia glared at him.

 _Oh fuck_. Ember shrank in the chair as he remembered he was supposed to keep quiet. Luckily, Aether didn't seem to have noticed; he was too busy panting and closing in on the edge as Copia's hand kept up the pace. Ember bowed his head a little to signal that he knew he had fucked up. He got the sense from Copia that he was allowed that one mistake, but no more slip-ups would be permitted.

Satisfied with their nonverbal exchange, Copia closed his mouth around Aether's cock once more with an apparent interest in showing Ember that he was perfectly capable of sucking a big dick without struggling. His cheeks hollowed and his head bobbed at a faster tempo than before, and were he able to, the skinny ghoul would have politely applauded his gusto. Instead, he watched Aether with rapt fascination as the big ghoul breathed heavily, his metallic cheeks flushed a wonderful shade of pink, struggling between keeping his head up to watch Copia work and letting it fall back as pleasure took over.

"I'm gonna—fuck, I'm gonna cum," the rhythm guitar ghoul blurted out.

Ember ached to be the one to hum around Aether's dick in response, to pick up even more speed and send him over the edge. Aether moaned as he thrust into Copia's mouth and his orgasm wracked through him. The cardinal's voracious tongue caught all of Aether's cum; Ember barely suppressed a whine, he longed to taste it for himself.

Copia hastily slid back off the bed and approached the chair. Ember was caught off-guard; he thought he'd be left out of this whole scenario, but the cardinal roughly yanked his gag down and pulled out the handkerchief stuffed in his mouth, grabbed one of his horns to tilt his head back and held his mouth open with the other hand. Ember's eyes widened and his face flushed as realization hit him, and in the same moment Copia spat Aether's cum into his open mouth. Warm, wet, and thick, it slid over his tongue and Ember's eyelids fluttered as he savored the taste of it. He moaned low in his throat, unable to stop himself.

Leaning down to whisper in his ear, the cardinal said, "You like that, you filthy little imp?" He released his grip on Ember's chin and horn so he could respond.

"Y-yes, thank you..." Ember breathed. He caught a glimpse of Aether on the bed. The big ghoul was still coming down from his peak of pleasure, sweaty and breathing hard, but he was watching the two of them with definite intrigue. Knowing that made Ember's heart pound, thunderous in his ears, and his skin felt hot all over.

Copia whispered some more, "I'm just getting started..."

The skinny ghoul trembled with anticipation as Copia stuffed the gag back into his mouth. Any fight he might have had left in him was now completely dissolved; he accepted the gag willingly, so potent was the impact of that small bit of attention he'd been given. Like some kind of proud pet owner, Copia smoothed Ember's hair back. He knew he had Ember in the palm of his hand now.

Trailing his hand down Ember's body, the cardinal slinked away and back toward the bed, where Aether was patiently waiting for him. They came together in a zealous kiss that reignited Ember's torment all over again, so he resumed his fantasy that it was him straddling Aether, his hands working at the buttons of Aether's shirt, his passion making Aether moan as his mouth moved to the big ghoul's neck and now-exposed shoulder.

"How do you like having an audience?" the cardinal asked with a quick look at Ember.

Aether considered his answer and also looked over at the skinny ghoul. "I wasn't sure about it at first but—ah, fuck," Copia had given him a lovebite that temporarily broke his train of thought, bringing the big ghoul's attention back to him, "but as long as he's okay with it... it's pretty hot, I gotta admit."

Even if he was just a passive presence in the room, hearing that he in some way turned Aether on was enough to make Ember's toes curl and his head fall back as a swell of lustful pride surged through him. If this was what fate had in store for him, relegated to sit by idly as someone else fucked the one he wanted, then so be it. At least in that moment, he accepted it; he was exhausted, mentally, emotionally, physically, to the point where any glimmer of positivity felt like the sun's rays beaming down on him after a long and dreary winter.

The snap of Copia's fingers made Ember bolt his head back upright. "Pay attention, imp. You won't want to miss this next bit, I assure you," the cardinal said.

Ember nodded in agreement and compliance.

Before long, both Aether and Copia were as naked as Ember, and Copia knelt behind Aether who was on his hands and knees on the bed, facing the chair so they could both watch Ember's reactions. The captive ghoul was breathing heavily again, his unwavering gaze fixated on the scene unfolding before him: Copia had retrieved some lube and was prepping Aether's ass, who was biting his lip and thrusting his hips back onto Copia's fingers with more and more wantonness. The cardinal was staring into Ember's soul with a devilish smirk. _Yeah, I bet you're happy, you rat bastard_ , Ember thought indignantly. He shifted in the chair as his own arousal became nearly unbearable, he was so desperate to be touched, he felt like mind would soon unspool entirely.

"Uhhnn, Copia, please... I need you now," Aether huffed, sounding pretty desperate himself.

"What's that? What is it you need?" Copia teased, leaning over Aether as if he'd be able to hear better.

"I need you inside me," the big ghoul whined, face flushing a deeper shade of pink.

"Oh? Aren't I already? Are my fingers not enough?" Copia finger-fucked Aether harder, which produced a delicious whimper from the rhythm guitar ghoul that made Ember fidget with desire.

"No—ffffuck—I need, hhnng, I need your cock," Aether confessed, then buried his face in the bedcovers with embarrassment.

It drove Ember wild to see Aether so horny. _He sure knows how to make us beg for it, doesn't he?_ Ember recalled his own night with Copia. It was almost suspicious... how easily the cardinal was able to bring his ghouls to a state of frenzied craving. Not just ghouls either, certainly plenty of ritual attendees had suffered the same uncontrollable thirst for their unholy cardinal.

But there was no time to think about it then, not while Copia was about to give Aether exactly what he asked for.

The cardinal lined himself up and, bending down to kiss Aether's muscled shoulder, entered the ghoul with what must have been a torturously gradual push, for it made Aether let out a low, prolonged moan that turned Ember's insides molten. There was a quiet grunt from Copia too, likely from struggling to not plunge himself deep into Aether right away. Ember wondered how it felt inside Aether's tight heat, how those plump asscheeks would feel in his hands, how satisfying it would be to make him moan in such an uninhibited way... the skinny ghoul doubled over as much as the ropes across his chest would allow, but it did nothing to help his arousal; his cock was leaking more precum despite being unused.

"Lucifer help me," Copia murmured, "You feel _too good_ , Aether."

Aether's face was flushed nearly crimson now, from both pleasure and praise; he did always seem to especially enjoy the attention whenever the cardinal came around to introduce each ghoul on stage. _Praise kink then?_ Ember noted, as if he'd ever get the chance to use that knowledge. At least in his fantasies...

"My big strong ghoul... let's put on a good show, huh? Something the audience will never forget." Copia was staring at Ember again, and Aether was too. The cardinal pulled back and thrust his cock in deep. Aether's face contorted and he gasped so loud Ember thought he might be in pain, the thought of which both concerned and excited him more than he'd ever dare to admit, but as Copia picked up a steady momentum it was clear that Aether was thoroughly enjoying this. When Aether's eyes weren't shut tight as the cardinal seemed to find that sweet spot again and again, the big ghoul was watching Ember intensely. He seemed to have bought into Copia's scheme hook line and sinker, because as he watched Ember struggle in the chair, untouched erection twitching and leaking a stringy mess in his lap, Aether looked like he got more and more turned on, his moans louder, his breathing labored and lewd as his strong hands grasped the edge of the bed.

Fantasizing was no use anymore. Ember couldn't unsee Copia fucking Aether, even when he closed his eyes. Even just hearing it was too much; he knew the slapping sounds of sweaty skin against skin and erotic breathing and guttural noises were coming from the cardinal and his favorite ghoul, and no amount of imagination could replace that information now. Ember let his head fall forward, his eyes still closed, as grief seeped into his heart once more. He shuddered, nearly choking on the now spit-soaked handkerchief in his mouth as he tried not to cry. He could only hope it came off to Aether and Copia that he was overcome with lust, or he'd have literal Hell to pay.

"Aww, I think we've finally broken him," Ember heard Copia say.

He didn't dare open his eyes.

"He's probably feeling a bit left out... What do you think, Aether, should we let him join the fun?"

Ember winced as he internally pleaded, _No, fuck, I can't hear him reject me again_...

"Sure, let's do it," Aether agreed.

_Wait... what?_

"How about it, Ember?" Copia asked.

Finally he opened his eyes, but it felt more like one of those false-awakening dreams. There was no way Aether had actually agreed, not when he'd been so clear earlier that he didn't want Ember like that... But both the cardinal and his fellow ghoul were looking to him expectantly, still mid-coitus but at a much less intense pace than before. He stared back at them incredulously.

"How about you show him what that lovely mouth of yours can do, hmm Aether?" Copia suggested.

"Gladly," the big ghoul replied with a suggestive lick of his lips.

The grief Ember had felt only moments before quickly faded into excitement, despite his lingering feeling of disbelief. His heart started racing.

"Well? You heard the ghoul. Get over here," Copia commanded.

Ember scoffed, and meant to pull on his restraints to remind the cardinal that he couldn't just walk over there, but found that the ropes fell away as soon as he moved, as if they'd never been tied in the first place. He watched in fascination as he was able to lift his arms and kick out his legs. He lurched forward, his torso was no longer held in place against the back of the chair, the rope falling unceremoniously across his lap. Ember slowly looked up from his hands to Copia while he reached up to remove his gag.

Once his mouth was free, Ember stretched his jaw and massaged his face a bit. "How did you—" he started to ask, but Copia interrupted him.

"If you'd rather not join us that's fine, I just thought—"

Ember interrupted the cardinal right back, fearing this was his only chance, "I want to join! I want to join. I'm coming." He stood up and couldn't resist touching himself now that he was finally able to.

"Well, you will be soon anyway," Aether joked. The bigger ghoul wore one of those cheeky smiles that Ember loved so much, but as lust took over he wanted nothing more than to disrupt that smile with his dick. He advanced toward the bed, stoking himself. Ember glanced at Copia; in the back of his mind there was a lingering paranoia that this was all some kind of cruel trick, but he found no evidence of foul play in the cardinal's expression, just an avid interest as he watched Ember close in on Aether.

Less than a foot away now, with Aether's big brown eyes looking up at him, Ember's dominance returned to him in a sudden rush. With one hand he grabbed Aether's hair and tilted his head back a bit while the other guided his cock into the other ghoul's waiting mouth. His need was too strong to go easy on his bandmate; right away he started to thrust, and was relieved that the big ghoul not only kept up but seemed more than eager to please. At the same time, Copia matched his own thrusts to Ember's pace in such a way that all three of them were moving together in an exquisite tandem. Aether's wet mouth and velvety tongue felt like the closest thing to heaven Ember would ever experience; he had to agree with Copia, Aether felt _too good_. After being kept on the edge for so long, he was all too soon close to orgasm, and Ember groaned, wishing he could make this feeling last so much longer.

"I knew you could make quick work of him, Aether," Copia cooed, running his hands down the big ghoul's back as he continued to thrust. "Now it's time for the finale."

Spurred on by the cardinal's praise, Aether grabbed hold of Ember's hips and pulled him closer so the big ghoul could take him even deeper and faster than before. Ember gasped and bent over him, panting and combing his fingers through Aether's hair. Some distant part of him noticed that Copia had reached over to stroke Aether's cock now too, and the resulting vibration from the big ghoul's moan around his cock was like the final tick of a timebomb. Ember threw his head back and cried out as he came, the release so intense he felt like he might pass out... his vision blurred, and then—

Ember was sitting in the chair. He lifted his head back up slowly, feeling disoriented. The gag was back in place, and so were the ropes around his chest, wrists and ankles. He looked around, trying to understand what was happening.

The cardinal was at the door, and the sound of his conversation seemed to fade in as if someone had turned the volume down and was now turning it back up.

"So glad you could come by, Aether. But first, is everything alright? You look a little... unwell," Copia commented.

The door blocked Ember's view, but he could hear Aether well enough as he replied, "Well, since you asked, there was this whole thing with Ember just a little bit ago. He's really upset and it's all my fault, and now I can't find him. Have you seen him?"

"Oh I'm sure he'll turn up eventually. Just give him some time to work things out, hm? All in due time. Now, I won't keep you long. I just wanted to make sure that you feel comfortable rallying the gang in preparation for the next leg of the tour. I've got a lot of tedious clergy stuff to take care of and I'll be relying heavily on you to keep an eye on things. Can you do that for me, Aether?"

"Of course, Copia. I sort of do that anyway..."

"Yes exactly! That's why I trust you with this task. Good, good. That was all, really. Go get some rest. I promise you, everything will turn out just fine."

"Thanks, Copia. Will do."

"See you later."

As the sound of Aether's footsteps faded down the hallway, the cardinal closed the door. Slowly he turned around to face Ember. There was an eerie calmness about the way Copia stood there looking at him.

Ember felt like his brain had been scooped out, spun through a blender, and then unceremoniously sloshed back into his skull. He just stared back at the cardinal, waiting for some kind of explanation.

"Told you I could still get you off," Copia bragged, his eyes wandering down the skinny ghoul's form.

Ember looked down and, sure enough, there was cum all across his stomach and lap.

Copia walked over and carefully untied the gag, releasing it slowly and cupping his hand for Ember to spit out the other handkerchief stuffed in his mouth. He tossed them aside on the desk and then started on untying the ropes behind the chair.

"What the fuck just happened?" Ember finally asked.

"Just a little something I can do. You know, I don't often get to use it on someone as strong-willed as you, so this was a good challenge. Pretty neat, huh?"

"But what did you _do_? Did none of that... Was any of that real?"

"I guess you could call it a _mindfuck_. It really doesn't matter, as long as you feel better. Do you?"

Copia finished untying his restraints and yet Ember couldn't bring himself to move. He was too busy trying to process what had happened and what the cardinal was telling him.

"How do you do it?" He watched Copia cross the room and toss the rope back into the storage bench at the foot of the bed. When he turned back to the ghoul, he pointed at his one white-irised eye.

"The Evil Eye comes with some perks, as well as curses," the cardinal said with a grim tone of voice. He paused to let that sink in.

Ember stared forward at nothing in particular, still sitting in the chair despite being released (for real this time, apparently). As he thought about what the cardinal was telling him, he also considered the implications. _What else can that eye do?_ He wondered.

"Listen in on your thoughts, for one," Copia answered.

The skinny ghoul bolted out of his seat then. "I FUCKING KNEW IT!" He shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the cardinal.

"Yes, yes, you're very clever. Come on. Let's get you cleaned up and take a nice bath."

As much as Ember wanted to rant and rave and go over all the times he was certain Copia had heard what he was thinking... a bath sounded really fucking good. He sighed. "Yeah, okay." He followed Copia into the bathroom.

If the rest of the cardinal's quarters were lavish, his bathroom was even more extravagant. Everything was opulent black marble and shining steel. Ember wanted to give Copia shit about it, but as he eyed the monstrously large bathtub that Copia was now adjusting to slowly fill up with steamy water, he decided he really couldn't blame the cardinal. If he had that kind of power, he'd probably live lavishly too.

While the tub filled, Copia turned on the faucet in the walk-in shower and quickly undressed, then beckoned Ember to join him inside, but he was already on his way. He marvelled at how spacious and luxurious the shower was; there was more than enough room for the both of them, the water pressure was perfect, the temperature was hot but not overly so. Ember stood there under the water with his face upturned and eyes closed, savoring the sensation for a while.

He felt Copia's hands gently slide over his back and a pleasant but not overpowering aroma from the soap hit his nostrils. The cardinal continued to wash his back, and then slowly turned Ember around to soap up his chest and stomach. Copia's demeanor was so different from before; he wasn't trying to tease or seduce, and his more menacing side was completely hidden away, leaving only tenderness and what seemed to be a genuine interest in taking care of the skinny ghoul. After all Ember had been through that day, it felt so cathartic to be finally treated with kindness. It was an overwhelming feeling. So few people in his life had ever shown him this kind of compassion... Ember swallowed hard as Copia bent to scrub below his waist, and couldn't help it as his body responded to his slick, delicate touches. Thankfully Copia didn't dwell too long or make fun of him, he simply continued soaping up the ghoul's skin until he was thoroughly clean all the way down to his toes.

When he'd finished, the cardinal stood up again and started to wash himself too. Ember felt like he should reciprocate, but the cardinal waved him off politely. "Could you check on the tub? I don't want it to get too full," Copia requested. The skinny ghoul nodded and, making sure he was fully rinsed off, stepped out of the shower into the cool open air of the bathroom.

It was good he checked on the tub then; if they'd waited much longer it would definitely have overflowed once both of them got inside. Ember twisted the valve off, and dipped his fingers in to test the temperature. It was marvellously hot. He couldn't resist and slithered into the tub right away, relishing the near-scalding temperature as his whole body submerged. The massive tub had little seats built in around the edges, so he claimed one and leaned back.

Soon the cardinal turned off the shower and stepped out. He glanced over at Ember in the tub and chuckled softly. "Comfortable?"

Ember smiled drowsily, the heat was blissfully relaxing. "Mmhmm."

"Good." Copia got into the tub, but at a much slower pace than Ember had. He sucked air in through his teeth as the hot water hit his skin and he muttered under his breath, "Hot hot hot hot hot..." It was Ember's turn to chuckle then. Once Copia was finally able to get in up to his shoulders, he sidled up next to Ember. The cardinal's face was flushed red; the temperature must have been really hot for his human skin, but he seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. He let out a contented sigh.

The skinny ghoul let his head rest on Copia's shoulder, who rested his head against Ember's. They sat together in a cozy camaraderie for some time before Ember finally spoke up.

"So how much of that actually happened, then? I'm still trying to wrap my head around it..."

"Everything up until I opened the door for Aether."

"It all seemed so... real," Ember commented. He shuddered a bit, remembering certain interactions. He snuggled into Copia's shoulder a bit more, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"It wasn't too much, was it? If it was, I can just as easily wipe it from your memory..."

Ember pulled away slightly so he could look Copia in the face. The cardinal looked back at him, perfectly calm, although his face was still flushed from the heat of the bath. This man, this mortal human, who when in the presence of the other leaders of the clergy was the most obsequious, snivelling rat bastard Ember had ever seen, was also possibly the most evil being he'd encountered since he'd left Hell. Not necessarily in his intentions, but his capabilities... and it excited him.

"No, it wasn't too much. It was exactly what I needed, I think," Ember said as a smile slowly spread across his face. "So if none of that with Aether was real... then you haven't gotten any attention at all, have you? How selfless of you..." He reached over to squeeze Copia's thigh as he nuzzled his neck, producing a small noise from the cardinal.

"I suppose you'd be right, imp. What do you intend to do about it?"

Ember took some time to lick along Copia's jawline before responding, "Can't you just read my mind and find out?"

"It's more fun to hear you say it out loud."

The bath water sloshed around them as Ember straddled Copia's lap and they stared into each other's eyes.

"Do you think you're still ticklish underwater?" The skinny ghoul wondered as his fingertips lightly grazed Copia's ribs beneath the surface. Copia jerked at his touch and immediately grabbed hold of Ember's wrists. "I'll take that as a 'yes,'" Ember said with a grin.

"Keep that up and I just might try to drown you," the cardinal warned.

"You promise?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this concept in mind for Copia the entire time (hopefully if you go back and read the previous chapters you'll see that I started to sow the seeds), but it wasn't until now that the reveal could be made. Don't let Copia fool you into thinking he's some nervous innocent rat man! hehehehehe
> 
> Thanks SO much for reading, I really appreciate it. Stay tuned for stories in the future~ 🖤🖤🖤


End file.
